Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Local Government Act (Access to Information) 1985, this report was admitted late to the agenda for reasons set out on the supplemental agenda.

An officer introduced the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development, which detailed the outcomes of a Review of the High School oversubscription criteria.  The review was carried out by a Working Group, which comprised of a number of Stakeholders,  

It was noted that the:-

·                     Working Group’s main focus had been to review co-educational High School admission arrangements;

·                     options of making no changes or using a modified links model had been ruled out as the Working Party had not believed it was possible to develop a single model that would gain the support of parents and schools, or would not be liable to legal challenge;

·                     lottery and banding had been ruled out following an early sounding exercise;

·                     Working Group had taken account of an exercise undertaken, using distance as the admission option on the 2008 High School transfer group, that showed very little impact on the number of successful first preference applications compared to using the link model;

·                     Working Group had felt that distance, measured in a straight line, offered a fair, equitable and stable option for the present and the future.

The Forum agreed with the findings above and commented that choosing distance would offer the best long-term and fairest solution, and would avoid any further re-visiting of the High School admission arrangements. 

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to the Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development)

To adopt the recommendation of the Working Group to consult on distance as the only option and to agree the consultation arrangements on proposed admission arrangements to apply to Harrow Community Primary and High Schools for the school year 2010 – 2011.

[Reasons for Recommendation:  (1)  To meet the statutory requirement to consult before determining admission arrangements;

(2)  to allow consultation to proceed].

(See also Recommendation 2)

In accordance with the Local Government Act (Access to Information) 1985, this report was admitted late to the agenda for reasons set out on the supplemental agenda.

An officer introduced the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development, which set out the proposed admission arrangements that would apply to Harrow Community Primary and High Schools for the school year 2010-11.  Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, Harrow was required to consult before determining its admission arrangements.

The officer reported that there were no proposed changes to the previous admission arrangements for Primary Schools.  It was proposed to amend admission arrangements for Harrow Community High Schools, by removing the linked school arrangements from the oversubscription criteria.

There were no changes reported concerning the Primary and 12+ Transfers regarding the Schemes of Coordination, other than the relevant dates.  The 11+ Transfer Scheme varied from the 2009?10 Scheme in that it would be amended in line with the Pan?London Coordinated scheme for Secondary Transfer.  For families with children in both the 11+ and 12+ transfer groups who had indicated they would like their children to attend the same school and where one child was offered a place at the preferred school the other child would be given sibling priority for the same school.  This would ensure that siblings were not offered different schools.

No changes were proposed to Harrow’s Relevant Area, in that by definition the Relevant Area meant ‘the area of the local authority or such other areas as may be determined’.

An officer concluded that all proposed admission arrangements for 2010?11 were due to be consulted on.

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to the Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development)

To review the admission arrangements, adopt recommendations detailed in the report and agree the consultation process on proposed admission arrangements to apply to Harrow Community Primary and High Schools for the school year 2010?11.

[Reasons for Recommendation:  (1)  To meet the statutory requirement to consult before determining admission arrangements;

(2)  to allow consultation to proceed]. 

(See also Recommendation 1).

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2008 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2008 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put, or petitions or deputations received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rules 16, 14 and 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution) respectively.

Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development.

Further to Recommendation 1, it was

RESOLVED: To note the outcome of the review of the Working Group on high School over Subscription Criteria.

Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development.

An officer introduced the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development which outlined a High School admission issue.  After a brief discussion the Forum agreed to write to the School’s Governors and the Director of Children’s Services regarding steps that ought to be taken to address the issue.

RESOLVED: That (1) the report be noted;

(2)  a letter be written to the school’s Governors and the Corporate Director of Children’s Services with a request that the Local Authority take its own steps to ensure that the school complies with legal obligations.

Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development.

An officer introduced the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Services, which clarified the legal position on the inclusion or removal of certain questions from the in?year application form.  The advice from the legal advisor was that if the questions were left on the form, the Forum or Council could be open to legal challenge.

RESOLVED: That the Forum agreed for officers to remove the relevant questions from the in?year application forms.

Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development.

(See Recommendation 2).

The Forum agreed that the next meeting of the Harrow Admissions Forum would take place on 23 February 2009 at 6.00 pm.